Shrimp Tacos with Lime Slaw

It's BBQ night number two. I have been eyeing this shrimp taco recipe for awhile. The spices sounded great and we've never grilled the gulf shrimp before. Upping the size of the shrimp meant upping the size of the taco shell as well. And speaking of taco shell, putting them in foil on the grill is a great idea. Love this recipe. 

Lime zest for marinade

Grill set-up

Tortillas & shrimp

Sour cream + adobo

Sauce & Shell

Things I learned from this recipe:

Sour cream + adobo sauce continues to be good.

Forgot to take a picture of the shrimp marinading in the bag and an individual one of the slaw. However, I did take one of the lime zest. This one was important because I decided to use my Mircroplane instead of my small handheld zester. The Microplane worked amazingly and it was much easier to get all the zest (and not hurt myself).

Would I make this recipe again?:

Sure

The recipe

Japanese Tofu Skewers on Soba

The sun is shining and the grill is full of gas, and to copy our friends, we have a second tank of gas ready to go for when we runout mid-cook again. I have been waiting not so patiently for it to get warm so I could start going through recipes that require the grill. Today I opted for tofu skewers - tofu two nights in a row is a really big stretch for Eric, but I did get the okay and he actually said it sounded good. Shiitake mushrooms are about the only mushrooms I tolerate and I thought it sounded good to grill them. Overall, the dish was fine but not one of our favorites. If you're a true vegetarian this is a phenomenal dish. The sauce was fine but maybe a little too lemony to consider it Japanese to me.

Pre-Grill

Mushrooms + oil

Marinating Tofu

Marinade turned sauce

Things I learned from this recipe:

Somen noodles are a fine replacement for soba if you're out. Wheat pasta would probably be sufficient substitute as well.

Would I make this recipe again?:

Probably not.

The recipe

Crustless Tomato, Spinach and Tofu Quiche

My local grocery store is fantastic. It is called Central Market and it is a division of Town & Country. They often have demos going on and I try to sample everything they make. I picked up this recipe a few years ago (if memory serves me correct) and it must've been good because I took the recipe card. I've eaten a lot of quiche over the years but not made by me. Eric ate a lot of quiche growing up and isn't the biggest fan, and I think I mentioned he's not the biggest fan of tofu so I was pretty much chancing it by making this. It turns out Eric realized it's the crust and the taste of the egg he doesn't care for so this dish was satisfactory. I definitely thought it was lacking in overall taste and instead of ketchup (which I like to put on eggs) I opted for Sriracha. 

Blended Tofu

Veggies

Pre-bake

Things I learned from this recipe:

Served best with Sriracha. 

The recipe does not say when to add the basil and as a result I forgot it. I don't think it would've made too much of a difference in the overall lack of taste though.

Would I make this recipe again?:

Maybe

The recipe

"Grilled" Cheese Sandwich

I learned not too long ago that the way I make a grilled cheese sandwich is not the way others do it. It didn't really occur to me that my way was weird until I told someone that I used a toaster oven and I got a blank stare. Grilled cheese also has always meant more than just cheese to me. One side of the bread has butter and pepper jack cheese and the other has mayonnaise and cheddar cheese. I toast it in the toaster oven and when complete, I always top it with tomato, and tonight added crispy bacon. At first I felt bad for including this as a "recipe" but then I realized it was good to share difference in how we make things and it truly is a recipe (of sorts).

Things I learned from this recipe:

I should've added avocado.

Would I make this recipe again?:

Of course.

The recipe:

Please reference the photos. 

Asian Spaghetti and Chicken Meatballs

I have been very excited to make this dish. The photos looked great in the magazine and it just sounded good. I had a lot of fun making the meatballs - I've always wanted to do this and never have. I've also never worked with ground chicken (be sure to wear gloves) and really like the mixture of the meatballs. In fact, this was the best part of the dish. The sauce of just chicken broth left much to be desired but I really like the idea of the dish as a whole. I kept trying to think of how to improve the sauce while eating it, and realized the meatballs would really be great paired with the Chinese Cold Pasta dish I make.

Ground Chicken

Chicken meatballs

Cooking!

Chicken broth

Red peppers & carrots

Tossing before serving

Things I learned from this recipe:

I need to be better about combining two recipes I've already made to make an even better one.

Would I make this recipe again?:

Probably just the meatball portion.

The recipe